WAEC SSCE - General Mathematics - 2019 (Objective)
Question 1 Report
There are 8 boys and 4 girls in a lift. What is the probability that the first person who steps out of the lift will be a boy?
Answer Details
The probability of an event happening is the number of ways it can happen divided by the total number of outcomes. In this case, there are 8 boys and 4 girls in the lift. If the first person who steps out of the lift is a boy, it means that any one of the 8 boys can be the first person to step out of the lift. Therefore, the number of ways the event can happen is 8. The total number of outcomes is the total number of people who can step out of the lift first. Since there are 12 people in the lift, any one of the 12 people can be the first person to step out of the lift. Therefore, the total number of outcomes is 12. Therefore, the probability that the first person who steps out of the lift will be a boy is: probability = number of ways the event can happen / total number of outcomes probability = 8 / 12 probability = 2 / 3 Hence, the answer is: \(\frac{2}{3}\).
Question 2 Report
In the diagram, RT is a tangent to the circle at R, < PQR = 70\(^o\), < QRT = 52\(^o\), < QSR and < PRQ = x. Calculate the variance of 2, 4, 7, 8 and 9
Answer Details
Question 4 Report
Find the equation of a straight line passing through the point (1, -5) and having gradient of \(\frac{3}{4}\)
Question 5 Report
Simplify, correct to three significant figures, (27.63)\(^2\) - (12.37)\(^2\)
Answer Details
We can start by squaring each of the numbers in the expression: (27.63)\(^2\) = 762.9869 (12.37)\(^2\) = 153.4369 Now we can subtract the two squares: 762.9869 - 153.4369 = 609.55 Rounding the result to three significant figures, we get: 609.55 = 610 So (27.63)\(^2\) - (12.37)\(^2\) = 610.
Question 6 Report
H varies directly as p and inversely as the square of y. If H = 1, p = 8 and y = 2, find H in terms of p and y.
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Question 8 Report
Bala sold an article for #6,900.00 and made a profit of 15%. Calculate his percentage profit if he had sold it for N6,600.00.
Answer Details
If Bala sold an article for #6,900.00 and made a profit of 15%, this means that his cost price for the article was lower than the selling price by 15%. We can calculate his cost price as follows: Cost Price = Selling Price / (1 + Profit%) Cost Price = 6,900 / (1 + 0.15) Cost Price = 6,000 Therefore, Bala's cost price was #6,000.00, and he sold the article for #6,900.00, making a profit of #900.00. Now, we need to calculate the percentage profit he would have made if he sold the article for #6,600.00 instead of #6,900.00. To do this, we can use the following formula: Percentage Profit = (Profit / Cost Price) x 100% Percentage Profit = (6,600 - 6,000) / 6,000 x 100% Percentage Profit = 10% Therefore, if Bala had sold the article for #6,600.00 instead of #6,900.00, he would have made a profit of 10%. The correct option is 10%.
Question 9 Report
If 6, P, and 14 are consecutive terms in an Arithmetic Progression (AP), find the value of P.
Answer Details
In an arithmetic progression (AP), the difference between any two consecutive terms is constant. So, we can find the common difference (d) between any two consecutive terms in the given AP by subtracting one term from the preceding term. Let's use the second term (P) and the first term (6) to find the common difference: d = P - 6 Now, to check whether 14 is the third term of the AP, we can use the formula for the nth term of an AP: an = a1 + (n-1)d where an = nth term a1 = first term d = common difference If 14 is the third term, then n = 3, so we have: 14 = 6 + (3-1)d 14 = 6 + 2d 2d = 8 d = 4 Now, we can substitute the value of d in the expression we got earlier: d = P - 6 4 = P - 6 P = 10 Therefore, the value of P is 10.
Question 10 Report
Solve: \(\frac{y + 1}{2} - \frac{2y - 1}{3}\) = 4
Answer Details
To solve this equation, we can start by simplifying both sides by finding a common denominator. \(\frac{y + 1}{2} - \frac{2y - 1}{3} = 4\) Multiplying the first term by 3 and the second term by 2 (the least common multiple of 2 and 3), we get: \(\frac{3(y+1)}{6} - \frac{2(2y-1)}{6} = 4\) Simplifying this gives: \(\frac{3y + 3 - 4y + 2}{6} = 4\) Combining like terms: \(\frac{-y + 5}{6} = 4\) Multiplying both sides by 6: \(-y + 5 = 24\) Subtracting 5 from both sides: \(-y = 19\) Finally, multiplying both sides by -1 to solve for y: \(y = -19\) Therefore, the solution is y = -19.
Question 11 Report
The fourth term of an Arithmetic Progression (A.P) is 37 and the first term is -20. Find the common difference.
Answer Details
In an arithmetic progression (AP), the terms are equally spaced. Let's call the common difference "d". If we have the first term "a" and the nth term "an", we can find the common difference using the formula: d = (an - a) / (n - 1) In this case, the fourth term is 37 and the first term is -20, so we can plug in the values into the formula: d = (37 - (-20)) / (4 - 1) = 57 / 3 = 19 So the common difference is 19.
Question 12 Report
Simplify: \(\log_{10}\) 6 - 3 log\(_{10}\) 3 + \(\frac{2}{3} \log_{10} 27\)
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Question 13 Report
Evaluate: 2\(\sqrt{28} - 3\sqrt{50} + \sqrt{72}\)
Answer Details
To evaluate the expression 2\(\sqrt{28} - 3\sqrt{50} + \sqrt{72}\), we need to simplify the square roots first. \(\sqrt{28} = 2\sqrt{7}\) \(\sqrt{50} = 5\sqrt{2}\) \(\sqrt{72} = 2\sqrt{18} = 2\sqrt{9}\sqrt{2} = 6\sqrt{2}\) Now that we have simplified the square roots, we can substitute the values back into the expression: 2\(\sqrt{28} - 3\sqrt{50} + \sqrt{72}\) = 2 * 2\(\sqrt{7}\) - 3 * 5\(\sqrt{2}\) + 6\(\sqrt{2}\) = 4\(\sqrt{7}\) - 3 * 5\(\sqrt{2}\) + 6\(\sqrt{2}\) = 4\(\sqrt{7}\) - 15\(\sqrt{2}\) + 6\(\sqrt{2}\) = 4\(\sqrt{7}\) - 9\(\sqrt{2}\) So the expression evaluates to 4\(\sqrt{7}\) - 9\(\sqrt{2}\).
Question 14 Report
A box contains 5 red, 6 green and 7 yellow pencils of the same size. What is the probability of picking a green pencil at random?
Answer Details
There are 5 + 6 + 7 = 18 pencils in the box. Since there are 6 green pencils, the probability of picking a green pencil at random is 6/18, which simplifies to 1/3. Therefore, the answer is \(\frac{1}{3}\).
Question 15 Report
If 7 + y = 4 (mod 8), find the least value of y, 10 \(\leq y \leq 30\)
Answer Details
Question 16 Report
From the top of a vehicle cliff 20m high, a boat at sea can be sighted 75m away and on the same horizontal position as the cliff. Calculate, correct to the nearest degree, the angle of depression of the boat from the top of the cliff.
Answer Details
The situation can be represented by the following diagram: ``` A /| / | 20m / | B---C 75m ``` Where A is the top of the cliff, B is the boat, and C is the point on the cliff directly above the boat. We want to find the angle of depression, which is the angle ACB. We can use trigonometry to find this angle. First, we need to find the length of AC. This is simply the height of the cliff, which is given as 20m. Next, we need to find the length of BC. This is the horizontal distance from the base of the cliff to the boat, which is given as 75m. Now we can use the tangent function to find the angle of depression: tan(ACB) = opposite / adjacent = 20 / 75 Taking the inverse tangent (or arctan) of both sides gives: ACB = arctan(20 / 75) = 15.02 degrees (to two decimal places) Therefore, the angle of depression of the boat from the top of the cliff is approximately 15 degrees (to the nearest degree). So the answer is option D: 15\(^o\).
Question 17 Report
If (0.25)\(^y\) = 32, find the value of y.
Answer Details
We can solve the given equation by taking the logarithm of both sides. Any base of the logarithm can be used, but we will use the common logarithm (base 10). log\((0.25)^y\) = log 32 Using the logarithmic identity log\((a^b)\) = b log\((a)\), we get: y log\((0.25)\) = log 32 Now, we can evaluate log\((0.25)\) using the logarithmic identity log\((a^n)\) = n log\((a)\), as follows: log\((0.25)\) = log\((\frac{1}{4})\) = log\((4^{-1})\) = -log\((4)\) We know that log\((10^x)\) = x, so log\((4)\) = log\((10^{0.602})\) \(\approx\) 0.602 Therefore, y log\((0.25)\) = log 32 y (-log\((4)\)) = log 32 y (-0.602) = log 32 y = \(\frac{\text{log } 32}{-0.602}\) Using a calculator, we get: y \(\approx\) -2.5 Therefore, the value of y is approximately -2.5. Hence, the answer is: y = -\(\frac{5}{2}\).
Question 18 Report
Find the angle at which an arc of length 22 cm subtends at the centre of a circle of radius 15cm. [Take \(\pi = \frac{22}{7}\)]
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Question 19 Report
Which of these values would make \(\frac{3p^-}{p^{2-}}\) undefined?
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Question 20 Report
Evaluate: \(\frac{0.42 + 2.5}{0.5 \times 2.95}\), leaving the answer in the standard form.
Answer Details
To solve this expression, we need to follow the order of operations which is parentheses, exponents, multiplication and division (from left to right), and addition and subtraction (from left to right). We do not have any parentheses or exponents, so we can proceed to the multiplication and division step. We have: \[\frac{0.42 + 2.5}{0.5 \times 2.95} = \frac{2.92}{1.475}\] Next, we can simplify the fraction by dividing both the numerator and denominator by the greatest common factor which is 0.05. \[\frac{2.92}{1.475} = \frac{292}{147.5}\] Finally, we can express this fraction in standard form by moving the decimal point in the numerator to the left by two places and simultaneously moving the decimal point in the denominator to the left by two places. \[\frac{292}{147.5} = 1.98\] Therefore, the answer is 1.639 x 10\(^1\) in standard form.
Question 21 Report
Express, correct to three significant figures, 0.003597.
Answer Details
To express 0.003597 correct to three significant figures, we need to round off the number to the third digit after the decimal point. The third digit after the decimal point is 7. Since 7 is greater than or equal to 5, we need to round up the second digit after the decimal point. Therefore, the third digit becomes zero. Hence, the rounded value of 0.003597 correct to three significant figures is 0.00360. Therefore, the answer is: 0.00360.
Question 22 Report
The following are scores obtained by some students in a test, Find the mode of the distribution
| 8 | 18 | 10 | 14 | 18 | 11 | 13 |
| 14 | 13 | 17 | 15 | 8 | 16 | 13 |
Answer Details
To find the mode of the distribution, we need to determine the value that appears most frequently in the dataset. Looking at the table, we can see that the value "13" appears three times, which is more than any other value. Therefore, the mode of this distribution is 13. Alternatively, we could create a frequency table or a histogram to visualize the distribution and identify the mode more easily.
Question 23 Report
In the diagram, PQ is parallel to RS, < QFG = 105\(^o\) and < FEG = 50\(^o\). Find the value of n
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Question 24 Report
Eric sold his house through an agent who charged 8% commission on the selling price. If Eric received $117,760.00 after the sale, what was the selling price of the house?
Answer Details
The commission charged by the agent is 8% of the selling price. This means that the remaining amount that Eric received after the sale is 92% of the selling price (100% - 8% = 92%). We can set up an equation to solve for the selling price: 92% of selling price = $117,760.00 To solve for the selling price, we can divide both sides by 92% (or multiply by the reciprocal of 92%, which is 100/92): selling price = $117,760.00 ÷ 0.92 Using a calculator, we get: selling price = $128,000.00 Therefore, the selling price of the house was $128,000.00.
Question 25 Report
In XYZ, |YZ| = 32cm, < YXZ 53\(^o\) and XZY = 90\(^o\). Find, correct to the nearest centimetre, |XZ|
Question 26 Report
8, 18, 10,14, 18, 11, 13, 14, 13, 17, 15, 8, 16, and 13
The following are scores obtained by some students in a test. How many students scored above the mean score?
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Question 28 Report
The pie chart represents fruits on display in a grocery shop. If there are 60 oranges on display, how many apples are there?
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Question 29 Report
If log\(_x\) 2 = 0.3, evaluate log\(_x\) 8.
Answer Details
We can use the property of logarithms that states: $$\log_{a}(b^c) = c \log_{a}(b)$$ Using this property, we can rewrite the expression for log\(_x\) 8 as: $$\log_{x}(8) = \log_{x}(2^3) = 3\log_{x}(2)$$ We are given that log\(_x\) 2 = 0.3, so we can substitute this value: $$3\log_{x}(2) = 3(0.3) = 0.9$$ Therefore, the value of log\(_x\) 8 is 0.9. Therefore, option (C) is the correct answer: 0.9.
Question 30 Report
If T = {prime numbers} and M = {odd numbers} are subsets of \(\mu\) = {x : 0 < x ≤ 10} and x is an integer, find (T\(^{\prime}\) n M\(^{\prime}\)).
Answer Details
The set T is the set of prime numbers less than or equal to 10, which are {2, 3, 5, 7}. The prime complement (T\(\prime\)) is the set of non-prime numbers less than or equal to 10, which are {1, 4, 6, 8, 10}. The set M is the set of odd numbers less than or equal to 10, which are {1, 3, 5, 7, 9}. The odd complement (M\(\prime\)) is the set of even numbers less than or equal to 10, which are {2, 4, 6, 8, 10}. Finally, the intersection of T\(\prime\) and M\(\prime\) is the set of numbers that are both non-prime and even, which is {4, 6, 8, 10}. So (T\(\prime\) n M\(\prime\)) = {4, 6, 8, 10}.
Question 31 Report
In the diagram, O is the centre of the circle of radius 18cm. If < zxy = 70\(^o\), calculate the length of arc ZY. [Take \(\pi = \frac{22}{7}\)]
Answer Details
Question 33 Report
In the diagram, POS and ROT re straight lines. OPOR is a parallelogram, |OS| = |OT| and
Question 34 Report
A rectangular board has a length of 15cm and width x cm. If its sides are doubled, find its new area.
Answer Details
Let's first find the area of the original rectangular board, which is simply the product of its length and width: original area = 15 cm x x cm = 15x cm\(^2\) When the sides are doubled, the length becomes 15 cm x 2 = 30 cm, and the width becomes x cm x 2 = 2x cm. So, the new area is: new area = 30 cm x 2x cm = 60x cm\(^2\) So, the new area of the rectangular board is 60x cm\(^2\).
Question 35 Report
The total surface area of a solid cylinder 165cm\(^2\). Of the base diameter is 7cm, calculate its height. [Take \(\pi = \frac{22}{7}\)]
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Question 37 Report
In the diagram, RT is a tangent to the circle at R, < PQR = 70\(^o\), < QRT = 52\(^o\), < QSR and < PRQ = x. Calculate the value of x.
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Question 38 Report
Factorize completely; (2x + 2y)(x - y) + (2x - 2y)(x + y)
Answer Details
To factorize the given expression, we can use the distributive property of multiplication over addition. This means that we need to multiply each term in the first set of parentheses by each term in the second set of parentheses, and then simplify: (2x + 2y)(x - y) + (2x - 2y)(x + y) = 2x(x - y) + 2y(x - y) + 2x(x + y) - 2y(x + y) (using distributive property) = 2x^2 - 2xy + 2xy + 2y^2 + 2x^2 + 2xy - 2xy - 2y^2 (combining like terms) = 4x^2 - 4y^2 Therefore, the answer is 4(x - y)(x + y). Explanation: We can factorize the given expression by grouping the terms into two sets, each set containing two terms with a common factor. We can then factor out that common factor from each set, and simplify. In this case, we can factor out 2 from the first set of parentheses, and -2 from the second set of parentheses, giving us: 2(x + y)(x - y) - 2(x + y)(x - y) We can then combine the two sets of parentheses, giving us: (2(x + y) - 2(x - y))(x - y) Simplifying the expression inside the parentheses gives us: (2x + 2y - 2x + 2y)(x - y) Which further simplifies to: 4y(x - y) However, this is not the fully factored form, since we can factor out 4 from the expression to get: 4(x - y)(y) So the answer is 4(x - y)(y), which is equivalent to option A.
Question 39 Report
A box contains 3 white and 3 blue identical balls. If two balls are picked at random from the box, one after the other with replacement, what is the probability that they are of different colours?
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Question 40 Report
The foot of a ladder is 6m from the base of an electric pole. The top of the ladder rest against the pole at a point 8m above the ground. How long is the ladder?
Answer Details
To find the length of the ladder, we can use the Pythagorean theorem, which states that in a right triangle, the square of the hypotenuse (the longest side) is equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides. In this case, the ladder is the hypotenuse, and the distance from the foot of the ladder to the pole and the height of the pole where the ladder is resting form the other two sides of the right triangle. So we have: Length of ladder^2 = (distance from foot of ladder to pole)^2 + (height of pole where ladder is resting)^2 Length of ladder^2 = 6^2 + 8^2 Length of ladder^2 = 36 + 64 Length of ladder^2 = 100 Length of ladder = √100 = 10 Therefore, the length of the ladder is 10 meters. Answer option C (10m) is correct.
Question 41 Report
In the diagram, PQ is parallel to RS, < QFG = 105\(^o\) and < FEG = 50\(^o\). Find the value of m.
Question 42 Report
If tan x = \(\frac{3}{4}\), 0 < x < 90\(^o\), evaluate \(\frac{\cos x}{2 sin x}\)
Answer Details
We are given that \(\tan x = \frac{3}{4}\) and \(0 < x < 90^o\). Since \(\tan x = \frac{\sin x}{\cos x}\), we can rewrite the given equation as: \[\frac{\sin x}{\cos x} = \frac{3}{4}\] Multiplying both sides by \(\cos x\) gives us: \[\sin x = \frac{3}{4}\cos x\] Dividing both sides by \(2\sin x\) gives us: \[\frac{\cos x}{2\sin x} = \frac{\frac{4}{3}\sin x}{2\sin x} = \frac{4}{3} \cdot \frac{1}{2} = \frac{2}{3}\] Therefore, the value of \(\frac{\cos x}{2\sin x}\) is \(\frac{2}{3}\). Hence, the answer is: \(\frac{2}{3}\).
Question 43 Report
If 2\(^{a}\) = \(\sqrt{64}\) and \(\frac{b}{a}\) = 3, evaluate a\(^2 + b^{2}\)
Answer Details
First, let's solve for a using the given equation 2\(^{a}\) = \(\sqrt{64}\). We know that \(\sqrt{64}\) is equal to 8, so we can substitute this value in the equation: 2\(^{a}\) = 8 To solve for a, we need to find the exponent that 2 is raised to in order to get 8. This exponent is 3, so a = 3. Next, we need to find the value of b. We are given that \(\frac{b}{a}\) = 3, so we can rearrange this equation to solve for b: b = 3a Substituting the value we found for a, we get: b = 3 x 3 = 9 Finally, we can evaluate a\(^2\) + b\(^2\) using the values we found for a and b: a\(^2\) + b\(^2\) = 3\(^2\) + 9\(^2\) = 9 + 81 = 90 Therefore, the answer is 90.
Question 44 Report
The following are scores obtained by some students in a test. Find the median score
| 8 | 18 | 10 | 14 | 18 | 11 | 13 |
| 14 | 13 | 17 | 15 | 8 | 16 | 13 |
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Question 45 Report
The interior angles of a polygon are 3x\(^o\), 2x\(^o\), 4x\(^o\), 3x\(^o\) and 6\(^o\). Find the size of the smallest angle of the polygon.
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Question 46 Report
Evaluate; \(\frac{\log_3 9 - \log_2 8}{\log_3 9}\)
Answer Details
We can use the laws of logarithms to simplify the expression: \(\frac{\log_3 9 - \log_2 8}{\log_3 9} = \frac{\log_3 (3^2) - \log_2 (2^3)}{\log_3 (3^2)}\) Using the laws of logarithms, we can simplify the numerator: \(\frac{\log_3 (3^2) - \log_2 (2^3)}{\log_3 (3^2)} = \frac{2\log_3 3 - 3\log_2 2}{2\log_3 3}\) We know that \(\log_3 3 = 1\) and \(\log_2 2 = 1\), so we can substitute these values: \(\frac{2\log_3 3 - 3\log_2 2}{2\log_3 3} = \frac{2 - 3}{2} = -\frac{1}{2}\) Therefore, the value of the expression is -\(\frac{1}{2}\).
Question 48 Report
An arc subtends an angle of 72\(^o\) at the centre of a circle. Find the length of the arc if the radius of the circle is 3.5 cm. [Take \(\pi = \frac{22}{7}\)]
Answer Details
To find the length of the arc, we need to use the formula: Length of arc = \(\frac{\text{angle subtended by the arc}}{360^\circ} \times 2\pi r\) Here, the angle subtended by the arc is 72\(^o\) and the radius of the circle is 3.5 cm. We can substitute these values in the formula to get: Length of arc = \(\frac{72^\circ}{360^\circ} \times 2 \times \frac{22}{7} \times 3.5\) cm Simplifying this expression, we get: Length of arc = \(\frac{1}{5} \times \frac{44}{7} \times 3.5\) cm Length of arc = \(\frac{22}{5}\) cm Length of arc = 4.4 cm (approx.) Therefore, the length of the arc is 4.4 cm (option C).
Question 49 Report
In the diagram, RT is a tangent to the circle at R, < PQR = 70\(^o\), < QRT = 52\(^o\), < QSR and < PRQ = x. Find the value of y.
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Question 50 Report
Simplify: \(\frac{x^2 - 5x - 14}{x^2 - 9x + 14}\)
Answer Details
To simplify the fraction, we need to find a common denominator for the numerator and denominator. The denominator, \(x^2 - 9x + 14\), can be factored into the product of two binomials: \((x - 7)(x - 2)\). Now, to simplify the numerator, we can factor it as well: \(x^2 - 5x - 14 = (x - 7)(x + 2)\). With this factoring, we can cancel out the common factor of \(x - 7\) in the numerator and denominator, leaving us with the simplified fraction: \(\frac{x^2 - 5x - 14}{x^2 - 9x + 14} = \frac{(x - 7)(x + 2)}{(x - 7)(x - 2)} = \frac{x + 2}{x - 2}\). So the simplified fraction is.
